Odyssey

Season 8, Episode 1, Aired
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Episode Summary

Green Arrow calls upon fellow heroes Black Canary, and Aquaman, to locate the missing Clark Kent, last seen in the Arctic. Meanwhile, a new CEO is appointed the head of LuthorCorp, and Chloe is kidnapped by a secret group who have discovered her special power.
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Fan Episode Reviews (53)

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  • The Green Arrow leads a team to the Arctic in search of Clark, who disappeared after the Fortress collapsed. However, they immediately run into Tess Mercer, the new CEO of LuthorCorp. Meanwhile, Chloe is being held prisoner because of a new power she has.moreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By MegEl86, Mar 15, 2009 Report Abuse
    Four weeks after the Fortress collapsed (see ARCTIC), Tess Mercer, the new CEO of LuthorCorp arrives in the Arctic to check on how the search for Lex is going. Just as her team finds Clark's red jacket, they're attacked by the Green Arrow, along with Aquaman and Black Canary. Back at the Luthor mansion, Lois sneaks in dressed as a maid and swipes a USB memory stick, but is caught by Tess, who recognizes "the intrepid reporter" instantly. Lois says she's there to find her cousin, who the Department of Domestic Security claims to have no record of. Instead, Chloe is being held captive at a LuthorCorp facility in Black Creek, Montana and being experimented on because of a new power she possesses. Meanwhile, Oliver finally finds Clark working on a fishing boat in Russia, powerless. Oliver rescues him, and together, they track down Chloe to the facility in Black Creek. Once there, Oliver seeks out Aquaman and Black Canary, who have been kidnapped as well, while Clark runs into Lois, and together, they rescue Chloe. However, while Chloe's being rescued, Oliver is drugged and made to kill Clark with one of his arrows. When Chloe goes to heal him and finds she can't, courtesy of her new power, Martian Manhunter arrives and takes Clark into the sun, which heals Clark but strips Martian Manhunter of his powers. In the end, Clark takes a job at the Daily Planet, working alongside Lois; Chloe accepts Jimmy's marriage proposal; and Tess's team finds the crystal that created the Fortress of Solitude.

    My Review: For a show that has a history of nailing the finales and disappointing in the premieres, ODYSSEY kicked off SMALLVILLE's eighth season with a bang. It had the return of Green Arrow, the JL, and Martian Manhunter, as well as some cool effects and fight scenes. What's not to like? Not to mention, it was a refreshing change of pace from last season, though there were many inconsistencies in continuity, such as Clark becoming a reporter despite his lack of qualifications, but I'm willing to overlook them. There was also Chloe with a new power, and us Clois fans got some banter between our favorite future couple, as well as them teaming up to save Chloe. For the males out there, there's Lois in a French maid uniform (which I personally thought was very creative of Lois), and for us females, there's Tom Welling standing in the pouring rain, with his shirt clinging to his toned torso. ;D And comic book fans should enjoy Clark "man-ning" up and taking a job at the Daily Planet, as well as some references to his future dual identity at the end. And was I the only one who, when he put his jacket on at the end, had a vision of him putting on the cape? In any case, I didn't much care for Chloe losing her healing ability, or Martian Manhunter losing his powers and becoming mortal. By the way, some fans have pointed out that MM should have reverted to his original green form. Part of me wonders why he didn't, but the other part is glad he's able to pass for normal. But getting back to the subject of losing abilities, what was with Jor-El stripping Clark of his powers? I get that he was trying to keep someone like Lex from being able to control Clark, but it seemed more like he was grounding his son. It was about the equivalent of taking away Clark's TV and phone privileges for a month. Also, I found most of the scenes at the Black Creek facility boring (with a few notable exceptions -- see the highlights below), but maybe that was because of the lighting. I also hated that Tess got her hands on the crystal that created the FoS, but all in all, I give the episode nine-and-a-half Arctic tundra expeditions out of ten.

    Highlights: The fight in the Arctic; Lois sneaking around the mansion and meeting Tess; Oliver rescuing Clark; Oliver and Clark breaking in to the Black Creek facility; Clark running into Lois and exchanging banter; a drugged Oliver shooting Clark (if only for the cool effects); Clark deciding to get off the farm and help people; Tess taking over Lex's office at the mansion; Chloe saying yes to Jimmy's proposal; Clark meeting up with Oliver and the JL; Clark annoying Lois while she's working; and Clark announcing that he and Lois are going to be working together.moreless

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  • Clark's superfriends search for him near the destroyed fortress; where Lex has also disappeared. Chloe is a virtual prisoner, being used for experimentation. Clark is both rescued and killed by Oliver.moreless

    8.0
    "Great"
    By cxtasy, Dec 29, 2008 Report Abuse
    The Eighth season of Smallville has a hard act to follow - seven seasons of some very familiar territory, story lines, and cast members. Fans will be challenged to adjust to the new locations, new situations, and the absence of Michael Rosenbaum. The gaps will have to be filled by a strong story about Clark and his relationship with Lois - Ms. Durance will have to become more than just a brassy cousin of Chloe, and she still seems awfully young and naive to be a top reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.

    Clark's superfriends crash in to the headquarters of the arctic search party, and the producer/writer team tries to ease the transition for us by mentioning Lex and their search for him in several scenes, but we know he's probably gone for good. Newcomer Cassidy Freeman, playing Luthorcorp successor Tess Mercer, has a tough job, and her performance in this opener is at least adequate.

    Clark is suddenly shown without powers and a virtual prisoner of a gang of Russian black market thieves - this all seems a little strained when no background on how he got there is mentioned initially, and some gratuitous fistfight scenes seem thrown in just to show us that he has no powers. Oliver finds him and soon everyone is back home.

    Allison Mack's stint in the Montana facility as a virtual prisoner is done well; she is an anchor of stability for the cast, as her ability shifts from healing powers to a prodigious intellect, able to rapidly absorb huge amount of data or text. Somehow the entire cast manages to show up at the Black Creek warehouse to rescue her, including Lois, who apparently has an unlimited expense account from the Daily Planet. She still treats Clark as something of a bumbling oaf, but that's more fun than having her fall at his feet.

    Oliver gets waylaid by some meteor rock fluid, and he ends up putting a couple arrows through the defenseless Clark, and Chloe discovers that she has lost her healing powers. But Martian John Jones arrives to fly Clark out to direct exposure to the yellow sun, restoring his life as well as his powers. This crisis resolution is almost too fast to make a good story, but the end of the episode seems to be controlling the action. The superfriends split up because they have been identified, and this seems to be a device to drop them from the cast for at least a few episodes.

    Chloe and Jimmy have something like a reconciliation and she accepts his proposal of marriage, but I have some doubts that this can ever happen, at least not permanently. Clark has his new career as a DP reporter - he enjoys surprising Lois about this, and even Lois has an amusing half-smile as she contemplates working across the desk from Clark.

    While "Odyssey" is built around resolving the Season 7 cliffhangers as we should expect, it does it awfully quickly, and sets up Tess Mercer as the new antagonist without much background. Several episodes may be needed to get the fans to buy into this new Smallville, which won't even be featured much in the future - most everything will happen in Metropolis. Clark's growing maturity and departure from the Kent farm is a plus - the rest of the episode is fairly good to watch, but it remains to be seen whether Ms. Freeman can become as sinister and compelling as Lex was. Re-run rating B-.moreless

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  • So the eighth season begins, and with it the true destiny of Clark Kent.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Milaneh, Dec 01, 2008 Report Abuse
    Okay... This would be the first review I have ever written, so I apologize if it doesn't turn out too well...

    I have to say I was pleasently surprised by this episode! I am not gonna write a recap or something, I am just going to state my opinion on the changes that Odyssey has brought to Smallville. The show has a new feeling about it now. With most of the original cast gone, and the changes that the remaining characthers have gone through it almost feels like a different show. I think that is a good thing actually, since it was starting to get a little too old in the previous season. Another good thing is that Lana is finally gone. I personally liked Lana and I thought that the whole Clark-Lana thing was cute and fine... for the first three seasons. I mean, come on! Everybody knows that Clark is supposed to end up with Lois, so what's the point of dragging his relationship with miss Lang for so long? As I said, I liked Lana and I had nothing against her (especially when she was becoming more Luthor-like), but she was obviously holding Clark back from what he was supposed to be. Next off, Lois Lane is finally Lois Lane! She is my favorite characther of Smallville and I was pretty displeased with her development up to this episode, but it feels like they are finally going to do something about it! I also like Clark's change, although it does feel a little forced (I mean, he almost looked like he was infected by red K at the end), but it's still a lot better than: "The world doesn't matter, only Lana matters." Chloe going Einstein is also pretty cool and I can only begin to imagine what she is going to be able to do now! I just hope that she didn't lose her healing abilities... Bringing back the Justice League was also great, although I think they only did it to boost the ratings. Tess Mercer... I can't really say whether I like her or not. At least not yet. I think she will do great as the new villain of Smallville, but I doubt she will be able to replace Lex. That's why I won't think of her as his replacement... To sum up, it seems to me that season eight is going to be a lot better than season seven in every way. It's gonna feel a bit strange without the Luthors, but still... I just hope I won't get disappointed later.moreless

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    3 0

  • And his destiny begins...

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By super_friend21, Nov 12, 2008 Report Abuse
    After last seeing Clark powerless in the Arctic with Lex, Green Arrow calls upon Black Canary and Aquaman, to locate Mr. Kent. Cue a lot of drama as the Justice League try several locations for a whole month but only check Russia at the last minute. Thank God Clark wasnt wearing the "colours" for once. And a miracale drug, courtesy of Chloe's mom is injected into Green Arrow who then kills Clark! Meanwhile, a new CEO is appointed the head of LuthorCorp who is just as ruthless as Lex, and Chloe is kidnapped by a secret group who have discovered her special power. Thinking the DDS are her captors, Chloe uses her extraordinary new power to help them figure out a code but realise its LuthorCorp! It seems the beginning to what Braniac did to Chloe in last season's finale is beginning to unravel and Clark finally gets a job at the Daily Planet.A very pivotal episode that sets up the rest of the season...moreless

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    4 0

  • Impressed. Where as it isn't exactly the best storyline the characterisation and general tone is a step-up from the last few mediocre seasons...And that is an exciting prospect

    7.0
    "Good"
    By AegisAtreyu, Nov 12, 2008 Report Abuse
    Wow, this was a breath of fresh air. Although why he is in a Russian war camp I do not know Clark actually seems in mortal danger and you feel for the character, something that hasn't happened in a while for me. That's because for a few seasons now we've just been going through the motions without any good characterisation. I also liked Clark being far more Cheeky and a little cocky as well. It suits him. The Scene near the end when he appears at the Daily Planet opposite Lois was subtle and fun. Lets hope that now Lana has gone we'll get more of this characterisation.

    This Season with the inclusion of Chloe's new Super intelligence powers and making the Green Arrow a regular also seems like it may introduce another element also, that of a world with Clark working regularly rather than occasionally with superheroes. This may give it a fresh angle and hopefully add more down this new route of characterisation over moving through plot. Also I like the idea of a superhero team defending the city, it gives him a chance to aspire to be Superman. What better than a model to base himself around. Yeah they have been round for years but Clark has also lived in Smallville for years only popping in and out of Metropolis. Which from next episode he obviously won't.

    Lois also feels a little different, more determined maybe it's definitely not just her new haircut (which I like a lot, I almost didn't recognise her in that final scene between her and Clark till she spoke). Intrepid reporter she will become.

    New additions include Lex's replacement and it seems she adds another freshness to brighten up Lex's dusty (very dusty for a month) mansion. The search for Lex indicates his return but I for one am glad he has a break becuase Rosenbaum was obviously very bored with the character if his acting was any indication.
    Plot wise like I said in the summary line I didn't like much except for it clearly bringing the new cast dynamic to the fore. The thing is that the Russian characters were good and enjoyable and I hope to see a few more subtitles in Smallville but the fact he had lost his powers AGAIN was ridiculous considering all the hoohah about Lex controlling him last Season. Chloe is a little less annoying than last season and I want to see where that goes but it was hammy how it linked in with the superteam's search for Clark. The ending was good (at the Daily Planet although how he got such a High up job I don't know, actually who cares) but the conclusion with the martian bringing back his powers (and the martian losing his) with the sun was so rushed as if to say, screw this lets get it out the way and get on with it. Not great for this episode but great for future episodes to have a clean slate.moreless

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    1 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • It's not clear how Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet. He hasn't written since high school, he doesn't have a college degree, he has no samples or references, and the newspaper is owned by LuthorCorp and Lex knows his secret identity. Under those circumstances it would be impossible for anyone to gain employment as a reporter, particularly on as short a notice as is shown here. Edit
    • Despite the fact that Lex has only been gone four weeks, the dust in his office is at least several months thick. Edit
    • After the Martian Manhunter lifted Clark up and they both fly up to the sky, Chloe and Oliver are facing down, at the lower part of the window. Then, in the next shot, they are looking up, at the broken window and the sky. Edit

  • Notes

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    • International Air Dates: Norway: Saturday, January 3, 2009 7.10 pm on TVNorge Sweden: Friday, May 22, 2009 on TV6 Turkey: March 7, 2010 on CNBC-e Czech Republic: March 15, 2010 on TV Nova Edit
    • As of this episode, Tom Welling (Clark Kent) is the only actor to appear in every episode to date. Prior to this episode, Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) was the only other actor to appear in every episode. Edit
    • Injoke: The new CEO of LuthorCorp is Tess Mercer. This is a play on Lex's secretary in the Superman movies (Superman and Superman II), Ms. Teschmacher. She was played by Valerie Perrine in 1978 and 1980 respectively. Also, her last name of Mercer is a reference to Mercy Graves, Lex's similarly devoted bodyguard from Superman the Animated Series. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Clark: (referring to Lois' stolen gun) Would you mind not pointing that thing at me? Lois: God, Clark, I'm not aiming at you. (Clark gives her a doubtful look) What? I'm not. Besides, it's only your kneecap. Clark: That makes me feel better. Lois: Look, I know that you're nervous, Smallville, but you got to remember, I grew up around Green Berets and Navy Seals, not corn stalks and Jersey cows. You stick with me and I'll protect you. You'll be fine. Edit
    • Oliver: I'd be careful, Clark. Pretty soon, you'll be sporting a homemade costume and leading a double identity just like the rest of us. Dinah: You might want to try a little more formfitting. Edit
    • John: How does it feel to be whole again? Clark: I was dying. You saved me. You brought me to some white light. John: The healing effect of the sun brought you back from death. I promised Jor-El that I would only be a watchful guardian, but I could not stand by and let you die. Clark: You shouldn't have had to. John: Jor-El knew he was sending you on an impossible odyssey. To be the given the power of a god... yet exist among humans. Clark: Sometimes I feel like I need to be two separate people. Either way, I can't keep expecting you to save me. John: Well, that was the last time. The burning sun may strengthen you, but it has the opposite effect on me. It stripped me of my powers. And we both know... that yours is a greater destiny. But with the Fortress destroyed, you'll have to do it without Jor-El's guidance. Clark: Or anyone else's. Edit

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